A 6.5 per cent pay increase for doctors will add an extra $5 million to the Tasmanian Government’s wages bill this financial year.
Doctors are set for the pay increase after the Government decided against challenging the Tasmanian Industrial Commission’s findings.
The pay rise will be back dated to January 23.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the budget would be able to cope with the additional cost as the pay rise was broadly in line with the Government’s wages policy.
“Doctors haven’t seen a pay rise at all, not even within government’s wages policy, since 2011,” he said.
“So for that reason I’m able to indicate that the Government, through it’s budget process, has already anticipated a decision of this nature, agencies have been provided with sufficient resource in anticipation of this.”